March 10, 2026
In Southern Ohio, many people face real barriers to employment. Access to training is limited. Clear pathways into skilled careers are hard to find. Economic conditions make long term stability difficult for many families. These challenges cannot be solved by single programs working alone. They require partnerships that connect education, industry, and community priorities.
Future Plans exists to build those connections. Through its partnership with Vitruvian, Future Plans is helping bring new workforce opportunities to the region by aligning innovative technology with local training, education, and housing needs.
A Workforce Pathway Built for the Future
In 2025, Vitruvian’s Digital Masonry pre-apprenticeship program reached a major milestone by earning state-recognized accreditation. The program was developed with the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and the International Masonry Institute. This recognition established Digital Masonry as a legitimate workforce pathway connecting skilled trades to advanced manufacturing.
Future Plans played a key role in supporting this work by helping align the program with regional workforce goals and community needs. The result is a training model that prepares participants for real jobs and addresses real challenges in Southern Ohio.
Vitruvian brings a unique, and very modern construction approach to this effort. The company uses robotic 3D printing to build homes and structures directly on site. Robotic equipment mixes, pumps, and places a printable concrete-like material with precision. The material includes Portland cement, recycled waste-based cement replacements, selected aggregates, microfibers, and performance additives. This method supports efficiency, durability, and resilience, which are critical for housing, infrastructure, and disaster response.
This process differs from traditional construction. Stick-built and masonry methods rely on manual labor and work that happens in strict sequence. Vitruvian’s approach combines design and fabrication into one automated workflow. It also differs from modular construction, which requires transporting prebuilt components. With 3D printing, the structure is formed in place. This reduces waste and allows for faster construction and greater flexibility.
Training That Leads to Real Outcomes
With support from Future Plans, Vitruvian launched its first workforce cohort in 2025. Fifteen participants enrolled and all completed the program. Training did not stop in the classroom. Participants applied their skills on site by helping build two homes in Chauncey, Ohio, for the Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program.
These homes were built for people in need. They were not demonstrations or practice projects. They show what can happen when workforce training is tied directly to community benefit.
Across all 2025 programming supported through this partnership, outcomes were strong.
- 50 total participants
• 100 percent completion
• 95 percent successful outcomes
• 2 homes built
Support Through the Appalachian Community Grant Program
This work was made possible through the Appalachian Community Grant Program, with investment from the Ohio Department of Development and the Governor’s Office of Appalachia. Their support enabled Future Plans to translate an innovative idea into practice.
The results show that workforce development is most effective when it is rooted in place and shaped by local needs. Public and private partners each play a role, but communities must remain at the center of the work.
Bringing Advanced Manufacturing Into Schools
Future Plans also helped expand the Digital Masonry program into K 12 education. Through a partnership with New Lexington High School, 27 students completed the Digital Masonry course and built a full wall as their capstone project.
This experience introduced students to advanced manufacturing and robotics in a hands-on setting. It also helped them see how classroom learning connects to real careers. Future Plans supported this expansion by helping develop curriculum for educators and by ensuring the program aligned with both academic standards and workforce expectations.
Student feedback was positive. Many students pointed to the opportunity to work with emerging technology as a key motivator. All students completed the course and earned certificates that reflected both skill development and readiness for future training or employment.
Growth That Builds Opportunity and Homes
The Digital Masonry program continues to grow. Eight additional schools are now participating, with more than 70 individuals currently enrolled across Ohio. This expansion reflects growing interest from educators, students, and workforce partners.
For Future Plans, this growth represents more than enrollment numbers. It means more people gaining access to meaningful training. It means stronger connections between education and industry. It also means workforce development that helps address urgent housing needs at the same time.
Vitruvian has received national recognition, including the Champions of Labor Award, and continues to expand its work through efforts such as a new Department of Defense SBIR focused on expeditionary construction. These achievements strengthen the partnership. Still, the work remains grounded in community impact.
Together, Future Plans and Vitruvian are showing what is possible when innovation is paired with intentional workforce strategy. This approach does more than prepare people for jobs. It helps create stability, opportunity, and stronger futures for individuals, families, and communities across Southern Ohio.
